1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improvements in athletic training devices and, more particularly, pertains to new and improved ball-kicking training devices for such sports as soccer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the field of athletic sports involving the use of various balls of various shapes, it has been the practice to employ a variety of ball-holding devices for the purpose of allowing an athlete to perform repeated physical maneuvers with respect to the ball for training purposes. When the ball of concern is a football, generally a variety of football-holding devices known as "kicking tees" are utilized. Examples of such prior art kicking tees can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,659,604, 3,481,602, 4,418,910 and 4,537,937. When the ball of concern is a round ball which is to be kicked such as, for example, a soccer ball, the prior art has devised mechanisms such as found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,516,769 and 4,616,834. None of these devices are specifically directed to the concept of providing a training mechanism which can be adjusted as the skill of the athlete improves with practice, as is the object of the present invention.